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Show ( SHORT STORIES j ! OF STREET AND TOWN j A local produce house, hired a new so 11c-ltor 11c-ltor a few days ago. He was hired after at leaat a doses applications for the post, tlon. ' - "I am afraid the boss doesn't want any new men," said he to one of the trusted employees one day. . "Oh, yes, he does," replied the salesman, sales-man, "but be wants a man who is persistent, per-sistent, one who doesn'jt give up in a minute. min-ute. You see it's Just le this the boss doesn't want to hire a man who has not got staying qualities. That's what a solicitor so-licitor needs, so that when be goes into a store and the dealer says that there is nothing in his line that he needs he will stay with him until he has sold a bill of With this encouragement the would-be drummer went after the boss with renewed re-newed hope, por did he leave him until he had been engaged to sell goods on commission com-mission for the house. ' - M As soon as he had been engaged he was turned over to the foreman. The foreman had his doubts if the man could sell any . kind of goods at any old price, but the man assured him that he could sell anything any-thing there was In the house, and get, the highest kind of a price for It. He was given a sample of oranges, which come ninety-six to the case and sell for $2.60 a case, nd a sample of bonanaa, and) was told to go and see a certain merchant mer-chant who was 'a mighty hard man to sell to, and to tell him that the oranges came 280 to the case and he could have them for $1 a case and the bananas were 600 to the bunch, which he could have for 78 cents a bunch. ' ' . "Now, If you can sell to this Bin," said the foreman, "you can seU to anybody In town." , ' Before the new man had time to reach the store the dealer had been telephoned to. An hour later the man returned to the wholesale house and said: . "Say, your prices aren't right. "Aren't right?" replied tne foreman. "What's the matter with them?" . ' "Well, they are too blamed high, why, , that man told me that he could buy the same oranges for 60 cents a box and the bananas for 25 cents a bunch." The -next day he was sent to a half eos-n eos-n dealers with supplies, of goods which htf was to sell at give-away prices, but never an order did he get. , The next day he did a good business. He sold goods that no dealer In the world had ever heard of. The dealers whom he visited had been informed of his coming and were "ready with their orders. On the fourth day he was in the ef floe and several of the clerks slipped out. In a few minutes the telephone was bury. "Is Mr. " naming the new solicitor, "there?" "Yes." "Well, I want to talk to him." - s ' He was called to the .'phone. "I was sorry that I was out the day you called as I had an order for you. Will you take it over the 'phone T" "Certainly." "Have you any frozen cocoanutsr" "Yes. I think we have." ' "Well, I paid 60 cents each for them the last lot I had from your house, and If you can make them the same price I want 500 " "I think that we can make them at the same price. Thanks for the order." For the next half hour the 'phone was busy. Bach caller wanted the new man. He took orders for fried deviled . crabs, blue, lobsters, baking cabbage, white oranges, pink lemons, seedless apples, frozen bananas, blue cauliflower, for baking, ba-king, cocoanuts to be stewed, iky, hooks, headless oysters, seedless cabbage, ana an endless variety of things. When he left the 'phone be was tired but happy. He had several good big orders and the highest price for every thing that he had sold. The managed looked at him and in a fatherly voice said: "My boy. you are lmply wasting your time in this .business. I could never pay you anything like the price you are wortn. and it would be a sin for me to keep you on what I can afford to pay a man. It makes my heart bleed to let you go, but I'll have to do It." . The young man made a strong plea to be allowed to remain, but the boss was firm, and he went forth into the cold world to seek a Job where his talents would be more appreciated. Most of the clerks remained home the next day. They' were sick from laughing over the sales made by the new man. |